THE AMERICAN FLOODS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 274, 11 April 1913, Page 6

THE AMERICAN FLOODS.

TRAGIC SCENES. RESCUED AT REVOLVER'S POINT. London, April 1. The flood in Dayton has perceptibly subsided. In one of the local churches, that of the United Brethren, the bodies were found of no fewer than 200 persons who hud sought refuge there. A grim incident was witnessed during the rescue operations. A boat while being rowed along one of the streets, passed a flooded house, the upper part of which was in flames. The occupant-of the building hailed the boatman and forced him, at the point of a revolver, to come alongsidf and take off his wife and her newly-born baby. . The flood in the Hudson River has exceeded all previous records. The lower part of Albany, New York, is under; water. Diphtheria and smallpox are accentuating the miseries that are being enl dured in Indiana.

VICTIMS WHO SUICIDE!). BULLET WOUNDS TELL THEIR 1 .STORY... , ~, ...Sfw.York, April 1. j Twcntv-six' bodies have 'been recov-l ered at Hamilton.. Ohio. The mayor oft the t«\;n ,savs ,t,hat. the (loath-roll is, certain to s ■ as' huhdredsS ' of, pep.nle fttf misgiiig. . . ... • . f Xhreft(Of| thp vMtms;Wb'ose ' btfdiesj were, found.,to-day had bullet _ wounds j 'in their bea.dp...clearly .showing t.hc|| death thatttievpreferred. M

MERCENARY BOATMEN. •4IR] j ij f. RESCUES AT £l A HEAD. j nv Yprk, ATO 1 l J A (Hscro(Tital)le feature's of tho floods sjtuatipn, in Pe.ru, Tmliana, is the extortionate cha^ey-made; bv .boatmfen for reßCuing* :, T'ln manyi cases i flS'iTiu'c^ ,, 'aS'' £<k was demanded frok .-efteii' rescued i. A There-'! Was'•A. .'mark&U iirtptoVtmenfc t<f j ffl# i n4h« : traini sewkse .within the flpod J| ed-zonei' •.•i3 ' lj

FRESH- TROUBLES THREATENING-: THE' MENACE. oi'-.PISRASE/'; , JSm Yoik, April 1. Tke situation in the flooded districts! unnrovedL With one peril , past, liowevei"; ntterr i9-*now,-Mn some ;! areas, the of another—that of epidemics. In'r®Bsi9nkifiy. f |th? : in the streets is polluted with heaps of ; noisome rubbish that is breeding pestilenae," and' cfiiifcfc' \Vork- will be necessary to fight off an outbreak of disease. _ i •fFho-ia'otivity --of; certain undertakers in. Dayton iias, aroused the wrath of Major) Dupiiy,:}n!c;omrnand pf the militia. wh» characterises.tliem as a lot of ghouls foif; the 'femisli iiaste with which they arc geekjng, hollies anil. ; sometimes burying thfim.-withont malcinz finv report to theauthorities. tjupuv declares that these ,undei;t;ajcers. "are trying to work the,-ho^-up.,g^ine..on the.,helpless friends, ■arid ..j;ela|tiyes : of, rthos'ft, dee,eased." ' 1 1 JPpru, ip ; hail to be. placjjt, jn^fhe-jj quarantine 'oWihg" t( prevailing 'sickness am'oiig the refu' " there; "whicTv threatens to cause f ir--<»<+"r loss of life than that for whiel were;. responsible. The col< Toath" v , however. w'll f'o much toward#

"'•''venting a - nioi'Ji. serious outbreak ol (*i~ n :'SC.

The' Wc¥fiili£>iiVfl!tf>''s in West Indiana io'is have revealed -that nnlv the flimsi All otlie 1 lmildin<?=\ however, are filled witli niu<s oo»«. an/1 are uninhabitable. .. Tt is believed that the fatalities throiishnnl Indiana will exceed 100. Tili .dunsi're to the railroads is estimated ai £2,000,001) and that to private house; and business houses at £8,000,000. PARKEBiSBUKB'S PLIGHT. In Parkersburg, West Virginia, tTi ; situation is acute.' A third of the cit r is under water, and with, no gas. wate:, or other'public utilities, the people liav •> been compelled to , quit the town an 1 make for the hills. Numerous houses and. bodies f;oni other towns are floating past Parkersburg. Another West Virginian eitv that s puliVving keenly is Wheeling. Upwarts of -'O,OOO people there have been coil - polled to seek refuge in the upper store y of buildings, and business is at a complete standstill. T Funds are being raised all over tlje United States and Canada for the relief of flsod victims. . Mayor of ])ayt»n in hjs rihiiafs c? <!i« signal services r»nder4d liv Yr. .li.'.n. ]T TW.t.rwm. president pf i iio Xut'oiH' llpei-iter Co., in tie resell" opernl'ons, and in aiding thoße who li-'.vc sufi'ercd most.

SEVENTY MILLIONS. | OHIO'S GREAT FLOOD BILL. ! INUNDATION STARTING AFRESjH. Now York, April I.; The floods in Oliio are increasing, and the present level of the Ohio River.is the highest for 40 years. ! Governor Cox estimates the losses to dale at not less than £70,000,000. these fitrures bein<y based oil the reports to hand from the inundated areas. Half a million flood sufferers will Inquire relief for the next three weeks at least. Cairo, which is situated at the .southern extremity of Illinois, on a low p«int of land at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and from which a general exodus lias been in progress, is now isolated. Communication is cut ofl' from all cities on the Ohio. The chief troubles now in most nliiees are arising from the fear of pestilence, ov.iii'f to the iusii/Ticiencv of labour to clear the debris and filth deposited by the flood, and the pollution of drinking water supplies.

Considerable anxietv is manifested by the authorities with regard to the cause of the floods, which resulted, not- from I lie breaking of dams, as at first reported. but from the abnormallv wet that prevailed for two weeks. Congress is to be asked for a vote of £30.000.000 to prevent a repetition of the calamity.